Post-card-vending machine.



F. J. PFLEEGER.

.Post CARD VENDING MACHINE.

APFLlCATiON FILED JULY 22,'1914.

1,15 l 71 Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

mi 4V- witnesses @ZM R Pugaemnw @Moine/1j COLUMNA PLANOGRAPH co..wAsH1NGToN, D. c.

FLOYD J'.` PFLEEGER, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

POST-CARD-VENDING MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3l, 1915.

Application filed July 22,1914. Serial No. 852,364.

T all ico/wm it 'may concern Be it known that I, FLOYD J. PFLEEGER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Card- Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coin actuated vending machines, and has for vits object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be employed for selling post cards, gum, and lkearticles.

A further object of the invention .is to provide a vending machine which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be easily operated, which is not liable to get out of repair, and which can be advantageously used for selling post cards either singly or in sets.

lVith these and other objects in view, the

' invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1. is a vertical transverse sectional view through a post card vending machine constructed in accordance with the invention. F i0. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9.-2 of Fig. 1. F ig. 3 is a horizontal sectional viewy on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. el is a vertical sectionalview on the line -l of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a casing within which the mechanism is mounted, the top 2 of the casing being shown as hinged so that it can be opened to admit of access being had to the interior of the casing.

Extending transversely across the interior of the casing and journaled upon opposite sides thereof is a horizontal shaft 3 upon which a "drum Ll' is mounted.A A'series of longitudinally extending and radially disposed partitions 5 project from the drum 4L and coperate with each other to provide a peripheral series of article receiving pockets 6 extending entirely around the drum. rhe outer ends of the partitions 5 are provided with the laterally projecting wings 7 which assist in retaining post cards 8 or like articles within the pockets 6 as they are carried upwardly on one 'side of the drum. It is contemplated to place a set of post cards within each of the pockets 6, as indicatedupon the drawing, each set of post cards to be sold for some xed price such as five cents.

A concave wall 9 is arranged under the lower half of the drum so as to close the mouths or outer ends of all of the pockets 6, with the exception of one pocket which may be positioned over an opening 10 in the concave. A curvedv and downwardly inclined wall l1 leads from the rear edge of the opening 10 to a discharge opening 12 in the front of the casing 1. With this construction it will be obvious that the set of cards within that particular article receiving pocket 6 which is swung into registry with the opening 10 of the concave 9 will drop upon the inclined wall 11 and be deliected thereby toward the linal discharge opening 12. The apparatus may be so constructed that the cards will be completely ejected through the opening l2, or so that the cards will come to a rest within the opening in such a position as to be readily removed by the operator.

@ne end of the shaft 3 has a cable 13 wound upon the same, the end of the said cable havinga weight 14 applied thereto. The action of this weight normally tends to unwind the cable from the shaft and to revolve the drum t so as to bring the various article engaging pockets 6 successively ver the opening 10 of the concave 9. The opposite end of the shaft 3 is provided with a ratchet wheel 15, the teeth of which are normally engaged by a pawl 16 to hold the shaft and drum against rotation. One tooth is provided upon the ratchet wheel 15 forv each of the article receiving pockets 6, and as the ratchet wheel is permitted to rotate tooth by tooth the individual article receiving pockets are brought one by one over the opening 10 of the concave so as to successively discharge the contents thereof.

The pawl 16 is shown as carried by an arm 17 which projects laterally from` an operating slide 1S. A suitable spring 18a engages the inner end of the operating slide 18 and normally holds the slide pushed outwardly with the pawl 16 in engagement with the ratchet wheel 15. However, when the operating 'slide 18 is momentarily pressed in and released, the pawl 16 is momentarily disengaged from the ratchet wheel 15 so that the latter can revolve one notch and bring the next article receiving pocket 6 over the opening 10 of the concave. Arranged in substantial alinement with the operating slide 18 and projecting through the front of the casing 1 is a coin slide 19, both of the said slides' being shown 'as mounted upon a shelf 20, said shelf also projecting beyond the front of the casing and having a longitudinal slot 21 in the forward end thereof. The guide shelf 2O is provided at opposite edges thereof with upstanding guide flanges 2Oa which engage the edges of the two slides 18 and 19 to direct the said slides in their back and forth movements. It will also be observed that the shelf QOand one of the side ianges 20n thereof are formed with a downwardly and laterally opening coin discharge opening 26 through which the coin drops after each operation of the machine. A finger piece 22 is provided at the outer end of the coin slide 19, while the opposed ends of the slides 18 and 19 are oppositely inclined or beveled as indicated at 30 so as to act upon the edges of a coin 25 and tend to wedge the same laterally and hold it in engagement with one of the side flanges 20a of the shelf 20 until it is brought opposite the discharge opening 26, at which Atime it is forcibly ejected through the opening. spring 23 is provided for holding the coin slide 19 normally in a retracted position, one end of the spring being connected to the wall 24e which serves to support the projecting outer end of the shelf 20, while the opposite end of the spring passes loosely through the slot 21 of the shelf 20 and is connected to the coin slide.

In order to operate the machine a coin 25, shown by dotted lines on Fig. 3, is dropped in front of the coin slide 19 and the said slide then pushed inwardly until the coin engages the end of the operating slide 18 and moves the same inwardly a sufficient amount to disengage the pawl 16 from the ratchet wheel 15. At this instant the coin is directly opposite the discharge opening 26 of the shelf 20, and is forcibly ejected through the said opening by the combined action of the two oppositely beveled ends 30 of the slides upon the curved edges of the coin. r1`he spring 19 then pushes the operating slide 18 back to its original position, and in a similar manner the coin slide 19 will also be drawn back to its original position Copies by the action of the spring 23. '1t will thus be observed that when a coin is inserted in the machine and the coin slide 19 pushed inwardly, the pawl 16 will be momentarily disengaged from the ratchet wheel 15 so as to permit the drum 4c to revolve one step and discharge the contents of one of the pockets thereof, although the manipulation of the coin slide without first placing a coin in the machine will not result in the discharge of a set of post cards or other articles. Owing to the peculiarmanner of beveling the ends of the two slides, as indicated at 30, the coin is instantly and forcibly ejected as soon as the operating slide 18 is pushed inwardly into operative position, thereby preventing the said slide 18 from being held in operative position for a greater length of time than that required for the drum to revolve one step.

Having 1 claim as new and ters Patent, is

A coin controlled escapement including a casing, a horizontally disposed guide shelf havingone end thereof projecting outwardly through the casing and provided with a longitudinal slot, the portion of the guide shelf within the casing being provided with upstanding side flanges and formed with a coin discharge opening extending through the bottom and one side thereof, an operating slide mounted upon the inner end of the guide shelf and formed with a beveled outer end, a ratchet wheel, a vpawl rigid with and projecting laterally from the operating slide and normally engaging the ratchet wheel,` a coin slide mounted upon the outer end of the guide shelf and formed with a beveled outer ing, the inner end of the coin slide being beveled in an opposite manner to the outer end of the operating slide and having an opposed relation thereto so that a coin inserted between the slides will be forcibly ejected through the coin discharge opening of the guide shelf by the action of the bev eled ends of the slides as soon as the two slides are pushed rearwardly an amount sufficient to bring the coin opposite the coin discharge opening, yielding means for normally moving the operating slide forward to hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and a spring extending through the slot of the guide shelf and connected to the coin slide so as to normally hold the same in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FLOYD J. PFLEEGER.

thus described the invention, what desire to secure by LetlVitnesses:

C. D. RUSSELL, DAN Horn. Y f

of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing 4the Commissioner of intents,V

Washington, D. C. 

